Barcelona, Spain – This morning in Barcelona, Diversified Communications, organizer of Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, reported on the 28th Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, the largest trade fair for seafood in the world. The event will bring together more than 1,527 exhibiting companies from 76 countries and will have 59 country and regional pavilions to date, on its launch in the city from 26-28 April at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via exhibition grounds.
For three days, the city will become the largest international platform in the industry and reinforce the event’s strategic positioning at the global level. Countries such as the Czech Republic, the Falklands, Lebanon and French island Réunion, that were not represented in 2019 in Brussels, have confirmed their attendance. Other countries such as Argentina, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, India, Ireland, Lithuania, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay, United States and Vietnam will also be at the gathering in Barcelona.
A month from the opening of the event, Diversified Communications’ Group Vice President, Liz Plizga, announced that the 2022 event currently features over 39,545 m2 of net exhibit space, a number that is still growing, and represents 97% of the size of the 2019 event, which was the largest edition of Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global. After three years without an in-person event, the Barcelona edition will mark the return to face-to-face business in the global seafood industry and will welcome thousands of seafood suppliers and buyers from around the globe.
High expectations for the first Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global in Barcelona
The global event will have an estimated economic impact of up to €100 million for Barcelona. “The exhibition will have a very positive impact on the local economy and will bring together industry players, seafood buyers and sellers for three days of networking, building business relationships, finding new products, and sharing discussions about emerging trends in the seafood sector. All in one place,” noted Plizga.
After 27 editions held in Brussels, Diversified Communications is celebrating Barcelona as the new home of the event. “We are expecting our first fair in this fantastic city to be a success. We chose Barcelona for its size and expertise in hosting international trade events, the variety of hotel options and its eminent position within maritime industry,” said Plizga “Our new venue partner, Fira de Barcelona, offers a modern and innovative space with extensive experience in working with large-scale events. These are the tools we need to hold a successful event and plan for long-term growth.”
For his part, Managing Director of Fira de Barcelona Constantí Serrallonga, said: “We are very excited to host the first edition in Barcelona of the largest event for the seafood industry, which further strengthens Barcelona and Fira as world hubs for international events.” In this sense, he commented that the addition of Seafood Expo Global and Seafood Processing Global to Fira’s portfolio “confirms our institution as an epicenter for the food industry as it joins other major events in the sector, such as Alimentaria&Hostelco, Barcelona Wine Week and the Gastronomic Forum.”
The largest trade fair in the world for the seafood industry
Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global will occupy halls 2, 3, 4 and 5 and the Galleria between halls 4 and 5 at the Gran Via exhibition grounds. The trade fair is currently tracking to bring more than 1,527 exhibiting companies who will showcase the latest developments in seafood products, materials and equipment, processing equipment and services. The 2022 event will see some leading businesses in the industry attending for the first time, such as Balfego & Balfego, S.L., Crusta C, Profand Group, S.L., Hofseth International AS, Maresmar S.L.U., Mascato, S.A., Mercamadrid, S.A., G. Mondini SpA, Grasselli SpA, Mediterranean Shipping Company España S.L.U. and Optimar A.S.
Other participating key players include AquaChile, CONFREMAR, Congelados y Frescos del Mar S.A., Denholm Seafoods Ltd, Frime, S.A.U., Iberconsa (Grupo Ibérica de Congelados), S.A.U., Iceland Seafood International, Krustagroup S.A.U., Sjor A.S., Mowi A.S.A., Nordic Seafood A/S, Baader, Cocci Luciano S.R.L., Craemer GmbH, FoodTech Belgium, Marel, Palinox Ingeniería y Proyectos S.L., and Ulma Packaging, among others.
Attending buyers, which include supermarkets, hypermarkets, restaurants, traders, importers, distributors, wholesalers and representatives of the hospitality industry, will be involved in three intense days of business, when they will be able to network, find new products and learn about the latest market trends.
Seafood Expo Global will bring together suppliers from all round the world who will display the latest in seafood: fresh, frozen, canned, value-added, processed and packaged. Seafood Processing Global will offer visitors with every aspect of seafood processing including packaging materials and equipment, refrigeration and freezing supplies, primary and secondary processing equipment and hygiene control and sanitation and quality assurance services, among others.
New features of the 28th event: a conference program and new developments in the industry
The 28th edition of the global event will be a great opportunity to discover and learn about the latest applied innovations in the seafood industry. Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global aspires to be a space for communication where experts and buyers across the supply chain and from around the globe can present their latest innovations to adapt to a continually changing market. The fair will also present its prestigious annual Seafood Excellence Global Awards, which recognizes the best seafood products of the year shown at the fair.
The Expo will feature a comprehensive conference program with more than 20 educational sessions that will address the principal challenges faced by the seafood industry. More than 65 leading international experts from the industry will come together in the city to offer practical and theoretical insights on the most current topics, including aquaculture, seafood business and leadership, the latest in seafood sustainability projects, and initiatives to tackle climate change and its effects on the maritime ecosystem.
Experts such as Megan Greene, global economist, Financial Times columnist and lead researcher at the Harvard Kennedy School, will take part in those days of reflection. She will be joined by Amy Novogratz, co-founder and Managing Partner of Aqua-Spark; Audun Lem, Deputy Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department of the FAO; Javier Garat, President of Europêche and the International Coalition of Fisheries Associations (ICFA); and Christophe Vande Weyer, Policy Officer in the Directorate General of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commission, among many other industry leaders.
About Seafood Expo Global and Seafood Processing Global
Seafood Expo Global and Seafood Processing Global form the world’s largest seafood trade event. Thousands of buyers and suppliers from around the world attend the annual, three-day exposition to meet, network and conduct business. Attending buyers represent importers, exporters, wholesalers, restaurants, supermarkets, hotels, and other retail and foodservice companies. Exhibiting suppliers offer the newest seafood products, processing and packaging equipment, and services available in the seafood market. SeafoodSource.com is the exposition’s official media. The exposition is produced by Diversified Communications, the international leader in seafood-industry expositions and media. www.seafoodexpo.com/global
About Diversified Communications
Diversified Communications is a leading international media company with a portfolio of face-to-face exhibitions and conferences, online communities and digital and print publications. As producers of these market-leading products Diversified Communications connects, educates and strengthens business communities in over 15 industries including: food and beverage, healthcare, natural and organic, business management and technology. The company’s global seafood portfolio of expositions and media includes Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America, Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, Seafood Expo Asia and SeafoodSource.com. Established in 1949 and headquartered in Portland, Maine, USA with divisions and offices around the world, Diversified Communications remains a privately held, third generation, family-owned business. For more information, visit: www.divcom.com
About Fira de Barcelona
Fira de Barcelona is the leading Spanish tradeshow organizer and one of the most important trade fair institutions in Europe, especially in professional and industrial shows. The institution has three venues: Montjuïc, Gran Via and the CCIB totalling over 500,000 m² of exhibition floor space, with over 150 events scheduled for this year. Among these features some as internationally relevant as MWC Barcelona, Alimentaria&Hostelco, ISE, Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, Hispack and Smart City Expo World Congress. Its annual economic contribution to the city of Barcelona and its surroundings is estimated at over 4,700 million Euros and its activity also brings added social and public value.
